Grieg Seafood Hjaltland UK Limited has donated UK£25,000 (US$42,441.003) to the NAFC Marine Centre. This money will be used to purchase an ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system that will treat the seawater supply at the Marine Hatchery.

Marine aquaculture production is increasing in Europe, mostly due to salmon production in Norway. Other types of production are relatively stable since the early 2000s. All aquaculture production in the EU-28 has been equally stable.In 2012, by far the most cultivated species in Europe was Atlantic salmon, followed by mussels, rainbow trout, European sea bass, gilthead sea bream, oysters and carps, barbels and other cyprinids.Finfish production accounts for the increase in European aquaculture, while shellfish production has been slowly decreasing since 1999. Aquatic plants production has been emerging since 2007.

John Bostock's insight:

This recently updated site provides interactive tools for exploring data on European aquaculture production trends and issues.

A set of interviews recorded at the AQUA-TNET Digital Teaching Skills Workshop in June 2014 are now available on the project website together with most of the materials used in the workshop and an overall report on the event.

John Bostock's insight:

Thanks to Clive Dove for producing the latest audio contribution to this record of the event.

The Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre has gained funding for 25 new taught Masters places in aquaculture. The Masters courses will focus on industry-relevant knowledge and skills. Applications for the fully funded courses are now open.

Eurypedia is a new Eurydice product and aims at presenting the most accurate picture of national education systems across Europe. Whether you are looking for understanding a specific education system or for analysing an education issue at European level, Eurypedia will provide you with the most exhaustive information on 38 school and university systems.

John Bostock's insight:

If you are looking for comparative information on the education systems in EU countries, this gateway from Eurydice is a great starting point

Czech Republic: International Summer School

University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Czech Republic -Faculty of Fisheries and Protection of Waters, Vodňany. 29 June to 24 July 2015.

The Summer School is a four-week course within which you are involved in a small research project, working in very well-equipped laboratories under the guidance of experienced researchers of the FFPW USB. The work in laboratories will be supplemented by many excursions to fish farms and visits to other interesting places. Professional, perfectly prepared lectures of leading Czech and foreign researchers represent another part of the Summer School´s program.

Another interesting aspect of the course is a stay in the international team. That is why we expect candidates with at least partial knowledge of the English language.An accommodation (room + separate shower and toilet) and a full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner) are also provided by the FFPW USB.

Only 10 projects are available with registrations open until 28th March and notification of outcome no later than 15th April.

The paper presents the activities and developments in Master level education over the last 18 years in European aquaculture specifically with regard to the ERASMUS Thematic network AQUA-TNET and its partners. The Master group’s progress is described alongside its response to the ever-evolving challenges posed by the Bologna reforms. The differences and variations in the way that Master degrees were conducted throughout Europe are clearly documented, a situation that led to substantial changes in Master degrees within a relatively short time period. The dedication of the AQUA-TNET network enabled its partners to meet European challenges within aquaculture education through its cooperative activities.

John Bostock's insight:

Another excellent and really informative publication from Aqua-tnet workpackage 1 on European Masters Cooperation in aquaculture and fisheries

News from Lantra Scotland Simon MacLellan, the talented 24-year-old aquaculture trainee working for Marine Harvest in Lochaber and winner of the Lantra Scotland Aquaculture Learner of the Year Award 2013, is leading a new wave of Modern Apprentices into an expanding fisheries and aquaculture management sector.

With new Government targets for marine production set to increase to 210,000 tonnes and shellfish to 13,000 tonnes by 2020, there are significant and growing career opportunities for school leavers and college graduates looking for a challenging and highly skilled occupation.

The aquaculture industry is currently worth at least £800m per year across the UK, with over 560 aquaculture businesses employing nearly 6000 people. According to Lantra Scotland, the sector skills council for the land-based, environmental and aquaculture industries, about 50 percent of these are based in Scotland, with Scottish businesses employing about a third of the entire UK workforce.

The introduction of new talent into the sector has been spearheaded by the success of the Scottish Government’s Modern Apprenticeship programme, which provides a very successful route into work for young people and access to new talent for employers. The programme offers a unique mix of college-based learning and practical, on-the-job training, which gives young people all the theoretical and practical skill sets that they need to succeed in their chosen careers.

Aquaculture trainee Simon MacLellan is cutting his teeth at the sharp end of fisheries management, working with one of Scotland’s leading producers, Marine Harvest. He is employed in the salmon hatchery side of the business, whilst undertaking the theoretical part of his Modern Apprenticeship Level 3 at Inverness College. Simon said, "I chose aquaculture because I can see this is an industry that is only going to grow. Thankfully, as a society, we have come to realise that commercial fishing is unsustainable, and with only 2% of the world’s oceans farmed, this represents a big opportunity for us all. It is very satisfying to be part of an industry that is geared towards sustainable fish production and I believe being part of the Modern Apprenticeship programme has given me the ideal start to my career.”

Lynn MacFarlane, Training and Human Resources Officer at Marine Harvest, said, “As a company we are keen to support our staff with their learning, and we have found that doing the SVQ alongside working on the farm is an effective combination for gaining knowledge and learning skills. Simon’s success as the Aquaculture Learner of the Year 2013 is a great inspiration for all our SVQ students. We have another employee, Jake Handley, who won Student of the Year for SVQ Aquaculture at Inverness College UHI earlier this year. So we are extremely pleased with how well staff are doing.”

Kevin Patrick, Interim Director of Lantra Scotland said, “The aquaculture sector in Scotland has grown steadily over the last few years, and we have seen a rise in demand for skilled personnel. The Aquaculture Modern Apprenticeship programme is a very effective route into work for young people, while providing them with access to new talent for employers. The framework is unique in that it provides a mix of college-based learning with practical, on-the-job training. This provides all the necessary theoretical and practical skill sets that young people need to succeed in their chosen careers.

"We’re also grateful to Marine Harvest for helping sponsor our land-based and aquaculture learner of the year awards, and to our main sponsor, the Scottish Salmon Company.”

John Bostock's insight:

Congratulations and good luck to Simon in his studies and career and good to see Marine Harvest and other companies supporting the Aquaculture Modern Apprenticeship Programme.

This Learning Theories’ Map is a result of the research carried out by WP2 of the EU HOTEL Project led by Richard Millwood from Brunel University.

“Learning theory has been a contested scientific field for most of its history, with conflicting contributions from many scientific disciplines, practice and policy positions. With the continuing and disruptive influence of technology on information, knowledge and practice in all sectors of society it is no wonder that innovators, drawn to the interactive potential that computers bring to learning, are challenged by the theoretical basis for their innovations.

Formal education is also a high stakes, culturally & institutionally conservative activity, which serves more than one societal purpose, including:

learner development and fulfilment;child care;preparation for citizenship, parenthood and retirement;preparation for work;selection for jobs.

Even in the higher, informal and professional sectors of education, complexity of education is matched by complexity of learning outcomes which may include:

skills development;knowledge acquisition;improvement in strategic, analytic and creative capacities;attainment of competence;establishment of attitudes and values.

Each of these societal purposes and these learning outcomes demand different approaches and understandings for the theorist and may develop at varying rates or found to be diverse in relation to context, location and culture.”

John Bostock's insight:

Do you find pedagogy and theories of learning confusing? This infographic illustrates why! However, it also helps to bring some order and provide a map of the learning theories landscape - A great starting point for any teacher to explore different ideas about the aims, objectives and methodologies of educational practice.

With the success of open access publishing, Massive open online courses (MOOCs) and open education practices, the open approach to education has moved from the periphery to the mainstream. This marks a moment of victory for the open education movement, but at the same time the real battle for the direction of openness begins. As with the green movement, openness now has a market value and is subject to new tensions, such as venture capitalists funding MOOC companies. This is a crucial time for determining the future direction of open education.

In this volume, Martin Weller examines four key areas that have been central to the developments within open education: open access, MOOCs, open education resources and open scholarship. Exploring the tensions within these key arenas, he argues that ownership over the future direction of openness is significant to all those with an interest in education.

John Bostock's insight:

Thanks to Andreas Link for this. I'm looking forward to digging into this as Martin Weller is both very well placed to assess current trends in higher education and always very insightful.

Parasites have a major impact on global finfish and shellfish aquaculture, having significant effects on farm production, sustainability and economic viability. Parasite infections and impacts can, according to pathogen and context, be considered to be either unpredictable/sporadic or predictable/regular. Although both types of infection may result in the loss of stock and incur costs associated with the control and management of infection, predictable infections can also lead to costs associated with prophylaxis and related activities. The estimation of the economic cost of a parasite event is frequently complicated by the complex interplay of numerous factors associated with a specific incident, which may range from direct production losses to downstream socio-economic impacts on livelihoods and satellite industries associated with the primary producer. In this study, we examine the world's major marine and brackish water aquaculture production industries and provide estimates of the potential economic costs attributable to a range of key parasite pathogens using 498 specific events for the purposes of illustration and estimation of costs. This study provides a baseline resource for risk assessment and the development of more robust biosecurity practices, which can in turn help mitigate against and/or minimise the potential impacts of parasite-mediated disease in aquaculture.

John Bostock's insight:

Congratulations to Andy Shinn and his co-authors on this massive review of the economic impact of parasites on mariculture. This should be widely read by students of aquaculture for its contribution to risk assessment and management, but also by investors and policy makers who might decide to allocate a little more resource to research and health management...

Professor Phil Thomas of the Scottish Salmon Producers' Organisation speaks about the development of the Scottish Aquaculture Industry, key issues and drivers. This is a presentation given in Barcelona in July 2014 which also gives particular attention to the theme of industry clustering - www.aquiplus.cat

John Bostock's insight:

An authoritative overview of key factors shaping the development of the Scottish salmon industry and latest developments for future enhancements.

In this paper, we investigate the potential changes that education innovation can bring to education and training in aquaculture. When introducing Information and Communication Technology methods into new educational contexts, situations and/or practices, in the process teacher/practitioners will almost always make use of innovatory technology which in itself can lead to a measure of change within the relevant educational system. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that the use of technology is not an end in itself, its use is only justified as a tool to achieve the educational goals that have been set. It is in this spirit that two case studies are presented from current aquaculture curricula, which make use of innovative teaching methodology in the form of e-Learning: one case study is from the Open University (Universidade Aberta) in Portugal [distance teaching in a Master’s programme (Second Cycle)]; the second is from the NAFC Marine Centre, Scottish Qualifications Authority accredited courses in Scotland, UK. We report the pedagogical models on which these courses were built, the tools required to achieve the intended educational objectives and the teaching and learning resources used. We also report the creative stimulus inherent in the innovation processes that allowed the two teachers/instructors to achieve the same, or better, results than traditional teacher-led classroom methods, by using a technology-enhanced teaching process without the need for face-to-face interaction.

John Bostock's insight:

Another article from the Aqua-tnet project showcasing two examples of using e-learning for teaching aquaculture and fisheries

Open Education Week’s goal is to raise awareness about free and open educational opportunities that exist for everyone, everywhere, right now. We want to highlight how open education can help people meet their goals in education, whether that’s to develop skills and knowledge for work, supporting formal studies, learning something new for personal interest, or looking for additional teaching resources.

According to the renowned American educator, Malcolm Knowles there are 5 assumptions concerning the characteristics of adult learners, and 4 principles concerning adult learning (andragogy). Despite the fact that Knowles' adult learning theory assumptions and principles were introduced in the 1980's, each can be utilized today to help eLearning professionals create more meaningful learning experiences for adult learners.

Andragogy is a term I would use much more often if I knew how to pronounce it ! It is interesting to reflect on how long it takes and what the influencing factors are in the transition from pedagogy to andragogy and by what age/stage of eduction it is really complete. "Pedagogy" seems to be a commonly used term in describing any educational theories, not just those relating to its Greek root - child.

In order for adult learners to be actively involved in their own learning, they must feel (and know) that they have a voice in regards to the content and delivery of their coursework. The degree to which learners determine how a course will play out is, of course, the prerogative of the instructor, but I think instructors who actively gauge the preparedness and receptivity of their adult learners are liable to get ones who are more engaged and grateful.

Scooped from Amos's Scoop.it page- Adult learning theory is very important to keep in mind when designing learning strategies for adult education. This is a very helpful resource to easily reference when designing instruction, in particular I would highlight the PURPOSE behind each module and activity and remembering that motivation is key with adult learners.

Realizing the profound potential of information and communication technologies in developing country agriculture, the Agriculture and Rural Development Department (ARD) of the World Bank in collaboration with infoDev (part of the World Bank Group) embarked in an effort to explore and capture the expanding knowledge and use of ICT tools in agrarian livelihoods. In November 2011, the World Bank released an electronic Sourcebook (e-Sourcebook) to initiate further (and better) investment in this sector. Called “ICT in Agriculture”, the e-Sourcebook provides practitioners within and outside of the World Bank Group with lessons learned, guiding principles, and hundreds of examples and case studies on applying information and communication technologies in poor agriculture.

The e-Sourcebook is provided fully and freely on this website. Fifteen modules touch on a wide spectrum of sub-fields in agriculture, including risk management, gender, forest governance, and farmers organizations. The Introduction (Module 1) introduces users to the ‘ICT in agriculture’ topic, offering key themes throughout the sourcebook as well as more details on how to use it.

Each module is stand-alone in format, providing users with the advantage of selecting the module or modules closest to their interest or work. The modules are delivered both in html and pdf format. The pdf format can be downloaded and printed. The full book can also be downloaded. In this version, hyperlinks between modules are included to promote cross-referencing throughout the Sourcebook.

John Bostock's insight:

There's a wealth of inspiration here for anyone looking for examples of how ICT can improve and even transform rural agriculture and fisheries including through e-learning opportunities

The MaCuMBA consortium is pleased to announce that the project will host a summer school on sampling, isolation and cultivation of marine microorganisms in July 2015. During this two-week course, participants will have the opportunity to interact with experts in the field and obtain first-hand experience of isolation and cultivation design along with various other techniques.

Course description

Morning lectures will be given by leading microbiologists who will present their ideas about the design of culture media, single cell isolation techniques, identification, and screening for bioactive compounds and their application by the biotechnology industry.

Demonstrations and hands-on practical work related to these topics will be carried out in the afternoons. In small groups, the participants will discuss and practice different isolation techniques for microbes including open seawater, marine sediments and substrates (e.g. seaweeds). A matrix of different marine systems, isolation techniques and culturing methods will be offered to the participants. Participants will design appropriate cultivation media and growth circumstances for photoautotrophic and chemoauto- and heterotrophic microorganisms. Enrichment cultures, dilution to extinction, batch and continuous cultivation, plate and cellto-cell communication will be part of the training. Aerobic and anaerobic cultivation will be possible under different environmental conditions. State-of-the-art identification techniques will be available for processing the samples.

Target audience

Technicians, PhD students and Postdoctoral scientists with background knowledge in microbiology (required) are invited to apply. The course is open to both MaCuMBA project partners and external applicants.

Registration deadline is 16th March 2015.

John Bostock's insight:

This should be of particular interest to any new entrants into the area of marine biotechnology.

The 3rd AQUAGAMETE Training School which will be held at the Centre for Marine Sciences, CCMAR, 13-16th January in Faro, Portugal. This training School is aimed towards young researchers (PhD students, young post-docs and MSc students) as well as representatives from industry. The course will be focused on Techniques in Fish Reproductive Biology and Cryobanking integrating aspects of different expertise and covering topics in theoretical lectures and practical classes.

It may be the fastest growing sector in food production worldwide, but aquaculture, or fish farming, remains surprisingly unknown to many outside of the industry.

The “Farmed in the EU” school project has been designed to raise awareness of the aquaculture sector among Europe’s teenagers (12-18 years old). The project will bring students closer to fish farming and find out how it affects their local community. They will explore its role in food production and in preserving the environment. And they'll discover the different business and career opportunities aquaculture offers.

There is plenty of scope for student research and discovery of the different marine and freshwater fish, molluscs, crustaceans and algae which are produced and the different traditional and more modern production methods used.

The project is currently being piloted in 20 schools across 10 EU countries (Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom).

It’s back to school for aquaculture producers

A key part of the project is an on-site visit by a local fish farmer, providing students with the opportunity to talk to an expert, to build on their own research, and to take part in a fun and interactive visitor session.

A project kit has been designed for teachers to give you everything you need to help them plan and run the project, from the first lesson, through the visit, to the follow up activities which can focus on anything from Nutrition & Cooking, Science & Technology, or Communication and Arts.

John Bostock's insight:

Let's hope school teachers have the time and freedom to pick up this resource and find aquaculture producers ready to engage..

Welcome to the latest issue of Aquaculture Scoop. In this issue we take a look at Risk Management in Aquaculture. We learn about Site and Equipment Safety courtesy of Gael Force Group and ground breaking innovation in Mooring Systems from Mørenot. We also look at interesting information on water quality technologies and feature a story on best practice for Aquaculture Sustainability.

LINQ 2015 has published its Calls! The motto of the international LINQ Conference 2015 is: “The Need for Change in Education: Openness as Default?” Continuing the successful series of conferences from 2013 in Rome and 2014 in Crete, LINQ returns to its birthplace in Brussels to discuss the place of open education and research in contemporary society. From 12 to 13 May 2015, LINQ will convene international learning experts and practitioners from all educational sectors. Interested parties are invited to submit research papers, project overviews, and workshop proposals on the following themes by 4 February, 2015:

- Vision and needs for change in education through open learning worldwide- Strategies and implementations of openness in learning processes- Global aspects of high-quality open education- Quality indicators and methods to describe, measure and evaluate quality for open education, OER and MOOCs- Conceptual contributions on new and innovative quality models, methodologies, standards and approaches for open education and e-learning- Practical experiences and reports with implementations of quality approaches for open education- Competences required by institutions as well as by learners for designing, practicing and improving the quality of open learning- Methodologies for and experience of increased recognition of open learning in formal, non-formal and informal learning, education and training- Certification of open education and e-learning in institutions, programs & courses- Integrated innovation and quality approaches for opening up educationInternational, national and regional quality projects related to the themes of the conference

John Bostock's insight:

Here are the key details for this major 2015 European conference for education professionals

The long-running higher education network AQUA-TNET, a tightly-knit collaboration of university departments, research institutes and other stakeholders from the aquaculture industry, was established in 1996 by AQUATT, a coordinating partner in the SOCRATES-ERASMUS Thematic Network DEMETER led by ICA (Association for European Life Sciences Universities). Later, AQUA-TNET activities continued under an umbrella organisation, the AFANET Thematic Network. Previous work on accreditation in European aquaculture courses carried out by AQUA-TNET’s first coordinator, the UETP (University Enterprise Training Partnership) AQUATT enabled the fledging network of 15 partners to publish details of aquaculture courses in all its 15 member countries and to focus on issues soon to be raised as part of the emergent Bologna Process (1999). AQUA-TNET’s ground-breaking work in educational reforms led to its steady expansion, with the result that in 2005 it was established as a stand-alone ERASMUS Thematic Network. Its achievements from 2005 to 2011 under the coordination of Gent University (Belgium) and from 2011 to 2014 of the University of Stirling (UK), demonstrate the incremental impact of AQUA-TNET’s long-term activities. AQUA-TNET played a leading co-operative role between higher education institutions, further education providers, research institutions and industry, defining and developing a high-quality European dimension within its academic disciplines. Activities included contributions to Bologna priorities such as student and staff mobility (M.Sc. and Ph.D. online portals detailing all members’ courses); development of innovative M.Sc., Ph.D., HE/VET and Lifelong Learning (LLL) programmes; organisation of hands-on workshops on new technologies (e-learning, ICT); identification of flexible pathways for lifelong learners (EQF and ECVET); developing diversified language learning for HE; excellent online forum (www.aquatnet.com) disseminating comprehensive information to all stakeholders, including industry.

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